How to use the flashcards

SPECIAL NOTE FOR AJAY: Please throw these cards in the bin – apple, apron, eat, egg, itchy, icecream, insects, ice, orange, ocean, undies, unicorn (x2). Make sure the following cards are kept in your set – ‘apple apron’, ‘eating egg’, ‘orange over the ocean.’ Decide between ‘itchy icecream’ and ‘insects in ice’ (keep 1) and ‘unicorn undies’ and ‘unicorn under an umbrella’ (keep 1).

Supercharge your child’s phonics ability by working through the 3 goals below. Start with goal 1, even if your child knows most of their letter sounds.

Knowing the sound letters make is an absolutely essential reading skill. In Australia, students are expected to be know their letter sounds by the end of their first year of school. But by working one on one with your child, you can make lightning fast progress!

Once you’ve worked through the 3 goals below, your child knows all their letter sounds. Hooray! This is huge! 

Goal 1: Say the correct word for each picture

Session 1

  1. Point to a picture. Ask ‘what’s this?’
  2. If they name the picture correctly, put the card in a ‘correct’ pile.
  3. If they say the incorrect word (or nothing), tell them the correct word. Put it in an ‘incorrect’ pile.
  4. Put one rubber band around the incorrect pile and another around the correct pile. Start the next session on another day. 

 

Session 2

  • Only use the cards from your ‘incorrect’ pile.
  • Repeat the 4 steps from session 1.

 

Further sessions

  • Take as many sessions as needed.
  • Once you have no incorrect cards left, go through the entire set of cards to double check your child says the correct word for each picture.
  • Once you’re certain they can name each picture correctly, move on to goal 2.

Goal 2: Say the correct sound for each letter

Before you begin:

  • Watch this video to hear the sound each letter makes. You’ll only be teaching your child letter sounds, not letter names – so make sure you understand the difference.
  • The 5 ‘magic’ letters – A, E, I, O, U – make two sounds. The first sound is the letter name. For example, A can sound like ‘ay’, as in ‘apron’ ( called a long vowel sound). The second sound it can make is like the ‘ah’ in apple (short vowel sound).

 

Session 1

  1. Show them a card (picture side). Point to the picture and say the word, then point to the letter and say the letter sound (eg ‘ball, bih’). Say ‘this letter makes the sound bih.’
  2. Show them the next card. Point to the picture, ask ‘what’s this?’ (cat). Point to the letter, ‘what’s this?’ (kih). If they make the correct sound, put the card in a ‘correct’ pile.
  3. If they say an incorrect sound (or nothing), tell them the correct sound. Put the card in an ‘incorrect’ pile.
  4. Put one rubber band around the incorrect pile and another around the correct pile. Start the next session on another day. 

 

Session 2

  • Only use the cards from your ‘incorrect’ pile.
  • Repeat the 4 steps from session 1.

 

Further sessions

  • Take as many sessions as needed.
  • Once you have no incorrect cards left, go through the entire set of cards to double check your child says the correct sound for each letter. Make sure they know the two sounds for A, E, I, O U.
  • Once you’re certain they can say each letter sound correctly, move on to goal 3.

Goal 3: Say the correct sound for each letter without using picture hints

Session 1

  1. Show them a card (non-picture side). Point to the lowercase letter (eg b) and say the letter sound (eg ‘bih’). Say ‘this letter makes the sound bih.’
  2. Show them the next card. Point to the lowercase letter (eg c), ‘what’s this?’ (kih). If they make the correct sound, put the card in a ‘correct’ pile.
  3. If they say an incorrect sound (or nothing), give them a hint by flipping the card to reveal the picture. If they still don’t know, tell them what the sound is. Put the card in an ‘incorrect’ pile. Put the card in the incorrect pile if you gave them a picture hint.
  4. For the 5 magic AEIOU cards, make sure they say both sounds each of these letters make.
  5. Put one rubber band around the incorrect pile and another around the correct pile. Start the next session on another day.

 

Session 2

  • Only use the cards from your ‘incorrect’ pile.
  • Repeat the 5 steps from session 1.

 

Further sessions

  • Take as many sessions as needed.
  • Once you have no incorrect cards left, go through the entire set of cards to double check your child can say the correct sound for each letter, without using picture hints.
  • Once you’re certain they can say each letter sound correctly, move on to goal 4.